June 23, 2024
Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Absolutely love this book – transport into an unreal, hilarious world of wonderful characters. Tragic-comedy story beautifully written.
In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is heartbroken, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs—yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again.
The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse
Still not sure what it’s all about but was totally taken to (another!) surreal world. My first introduction to deep thinking – or that’s what I thought it was at the time.
Set in the twenty-third century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).
Fisherman’s Bedside Book by Denys Watkins-Pitchford aka BB
The most perfect anthology of fishing tales. Has goodness and wholesomeness flowing through every page and the ultimate piscatorial bedtime read.
This is a selection of the best essays from the celebrated classic fishing anthology, first compiled in 1945 by ‘BB’, one of Britain’s best-loved naturalists. The Fisherman’s Bedside Book brings together this rare combination of Denys Watkins-Pitchford’s skills with some of the best writing from fishing people for fishing people.
Gormenghast trilogy by Melvyn Peak.
Kinda medieval science fiction? And a film in works? Remember seeing clearly all the characters, orgy filled halls, and dark dungeons.
A doomed lord, an emergent hero, and a dazzling array of bizarre creatures inhabit the magical world of the Gormenghast novels which, along with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, reign as one of the undisputed fantasy classics of all time. At the centre of it all is the seventy-seventh Earl, Titus Groan, who stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that form Gormenghast Castle and its kingdom, unless the conniving Steerpike, who is determined to rise above his menial position and control the House of Groan, has his way.
Entangled Life – Merlin Sheldrake.
Just started reading this – halfway through, but gonna start again from the beginning as I do believe this fellow is onto something with radical view of how society might develop best in the future. Big thoughts!!!
In this captivating adventure, Merlin Sheldrake explores the spectacular and neglected world of fungi: endlessly surprising organisms that sustain nearly all living systems. Entangled Life is a mind-altering journey into this hidden kingdom of life, and shows that fungi are key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.
If you have read any of these selections, please do tell us what you thought.
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